Website migration.
A new website, without losing your Google position
A new website, a different domain or a new address structure. These are normal steps in the life of a business. But they often go wrong on one point: Google can no longer find the old pages and visitors land on an error. What took years to build is gone in a few days.
It doesn’t have to be that way. With a good plan, your website moves without your visibility collapsing. I handle the preparation, the switch and the checks afterwards.
- Redirect planEvery old page to the right new page
- Checks beforehandTesting before you go live, not after
- AftercareFollow-up in the weeks after the migration
- Fixed priceYou know the cost upfront
The risk
Why migrations go wrong.
Google knows your website as a list of addresses. Each address has a history: visitors, links from other websites, a place in the search results. If an address changes without you passing that on, that page starts over from zero. For visitors it is even worse, because an old link then leads to a 404.
It often happens with a new website. The designer builds something beautiful, the addresses change a little and nobody notices that the old pages no longer point anywhere. Only weeks later do you see it in your figures.
The good news: this can be prevented. It mainly takes care.
What I take care of
The four parts of a good migration.
An overview of what exists
I make a list of all addresses on your current website, with what actually happens on them. Which pages get visited, which have links from outside, which are empty or outdated. That way you know what to take along and what you can let go.
Redirect plan
Every old address gets a permanent redirect to the best matching new page. No redirecting everything to the homepage, because that confuses Google and visitors. And no chains of redirects that get slower and slower.
Testing before going live
I check the new website in a test environment: does every redirect work, are the right title and description in place, is the technical foundation correct? After going live you already know it is in order.
Aftercare
Right after the switch I check in Google Search Console whether everything is being picked up. I submit a new sitemap, monitor errors and fix whatever still slips through.
What you get
A migration with proof.
You don’t get a nice promise, but a file showing what was done:
- The complete list of addresses from old to new
- The redirect plan, tested and working
- A new sitemap, submitted to Google
- A check of the technical foundation of the new website
- A short follow-up after a few weeks on what happened
A different domain
From one domain to another.
If you move to a new domain name, there is an extra step. Besides the redirects, I notify Google of the move through the change of address tool in Search Console. That helps Google understand the switch faster.
You keep your old domain for a long time. Redirects should stay in place for at least a year, preferably longer. Anyone who lets go of the domain too early loses the visitors who keep arriving via old links.
What you should know: Google itself says that fluctuations in search results after a move can last weeks or longer. Good preparation limits the effect, but doesn’t reduce it to zero. So I don’t promise an unchanged position, but a careful transition.
Common mistakes
What I often see going wrong.
Redirecting everything to the homepage. It looks like a quick fix, but Google sees that the new page has nothing to do with the old one, and visitors search in vain for what they wanted. Then the chains: old address to intermediate address to new address, where every step costs time and trust.
Another classic: the test environment accidentally stays blocked for Google, even after going live. Or the sitemap still contains the old addresses. These are small things with big consequences, and they are easy to find if you look for them beforehand.
Planning
When is the best time to migrate?
Choose a quiet moment. Not in the middle of your busiest period or right before a campaign. A migration without haste leaves room to check and adjust.
Also keep in mind that from the switch onwards you can no longer work on the old website unnoticed. Changes in the weeks before are coordinated, so nothing gets lost.
How it works
From first conversation to aftercare.
Step 1
Getting acquainted
We discuss what is changing: only the design, the addresses, the domain or everything at once. Then I quote a fixed price.
Step 2
Taking inventory
I map your current website and decide what stays, what moves and what disappears.
Step 3
Preparing and testing
The redirect plan is completed and tested on the new environment.
Step 4
Going live
At a quiet moment everything is switched over. I check immediately that everything works.
Step 5
Aftercare
I follow the figures in the following weeks and handle whatever is needed.
Why DYKZ
I build the website and I handle the migration.
At many agencies, building is one team and the technology behind it another. Then the redirect work falls between two stools. With me it is all in one hand. I know what is in the new website, what was in the old one and how the two connect.
Do you already have a new website built by someone else? Then I can also do the migration separately for you. I work with your developer or handle it myself, whichever suits you best. You always get one point of contact, and that is the person doing the work.
Will I definitely lose my Google position?
No, but a temporary fluctuation is normal. Google itself says this can take weeks or longer. With good redirects and a clean transition, you reduce the risk considerably.
How long should redirects stay in place?
At least a year, preferably longer. As long as visitors or links still arrive via the old address, the redirect should stay. Leaving them in place costs next to nothing.
What does migrating my website cost?
That depends on the number of pages and how complex the switch is. After a short conversation I give you a fixed price.
Can you also migrate a website that someone else built?
Yes. I then look at the old and the new website and handle the switch. The main thing is that the addresses are neatly linked to each other.
Further reading
Sources
DYKZ® is a registered trademark and values transparency and sharing knowledge and sources.
Get in touch
Let’s see
what can be better.
Tell me what you are running into and where you want to go online. However big or small your ambitions, a consultation costs you nothing and always gives you something to act on.
What to expect from the conversation
- Honest about your website and your options
- Concrete advice you can use right away
- A rough indication of investment and timeline
- If I can’t help you, I’ll tell you honestly
Fixed price · No subscription · 36-month warranty
